The infamous tale of gang rivalry and teenage angst will be brought to the stage in the Amarillo College Conservatory Theatre’s production of “The Outsiders.”

The story follows the clash between two gangs: The poor “Greasers” and the privileged “Socs.” When a murder takes place between the gangs, the story takes a dark turn.

The cast of high school students portraying the iconic characters believes the seriousness and darkness of the play are what makes it so special.

“It’s a realistic portrayal of what is was like in the 1960s between these two groups,” said Ethan Chase, 18, who plays Greaser Dallas Winston. “It was very violent and very dark.”

The play is an adaption of a novel by the same name by S.E. Hinton. When it was published in 1967, she was only 18.

The book, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, has been hailed through the years as an accurate portrayal of teenage life and the prejudices caused by socioeconomic divide.

“You get to see what a teenager saw in this time period, what they experienced and what their perceptions of other people are,” said Jeremy Hernandez, 15, who plays Greaser Two-Bit Matthews.

Although the cast agrees that the show connects with teenagers today, they said they cannot begin to imagine the darkness some of the characters experienced.

“He’s seen things that other people his age couldn’t imagine,” Chase said of his character, Dallas. “As actors, one of the greatest challenges of this show is bringing that out.”

The students have taken inspiration from the book as well as the 1983 film adaptation. Some have drawn from personal experiences.

“The movie touched me … especially once I saw how Sodapop was dealing with missing his parents,” said Nathanael Salazar, 18, who plays Sodapop. “My cousin lost his parents so I looked to him for inspiration for my character.”

Many cast members are seasoned actors with the conservatory theatre, and this play is quite different from some of the more light-hearted productions they’ve performed in this season.

“I normally do happy, fluffy musicals,” said Regan Mashburn, 18, who plays Cherry Valance of the Socs. “It is nice to do such a real, important piece that I can actually connect to myself.”

Although the story is of a serious nature, the cast said there are moments of comic relief.

“The show not only talks about this conflict but what it’s like to be a teenager,” Chase said. “You will cry, laugh and have a really great time.”